Biographical Notes

Henry, son of William Henry & Caroline Bottle, was born at Hawkenbury, Kent, England on 9 March 1892.

The Ashburton Guuardian published a letter to the editor from C S Osborn of Rakaia that read:

“…(I am writing this, knowing the poor chap had no relatives and very few friends in New Zeland). He was 20 years of age … and was one of a group of boys brought out by the Government Immigration Department in the SS Suffolk in March 1914, to work on farms. The lad came direct to my employ, and was in every way a most satisfactory nominee of the Department. As soon as war was declared he became eager to enlist, and left with the 3rd reinforcements.”

Mr Osborn believed he was the first from Rakaia to have been killed.

Henry’s last New Zealand address was given as care of C. Hallards of Temuka. He enlisted in the Canterbury Infantry Division on 12 December 1914 and served until 14 February 1915 when he embarked from Wellington on either the Maunganui, Tahiti or Aparima with the 3rd reinforcements for Suez, Egypt arriving 26 March 1915. He was described on enlisting as being aged 20 years (but his birth date was given as 1892), of fair complexion, chest 33 inches, weight 127 lbs, height 5 foot 6 inches, eyes blue, hair dark brown, and teeth good.

Henry was wounded whilst landing at Gallipoli and died on board HMHS Galeka and buried at sea 20 May 1915. He is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, reference 74. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal which were sent to his father in England along with a scroll and plaque at wars end.

Sources

Temuka through the years: an informal history (Temuka History Book Committee, 2009); Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database (September 2013); Ashburton Guardian 14 Jun 1915; NZ Archives, Military personal record